S. 2495: Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025

This bill, known as the Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025, aims to address the issue of call center work being relocated or contracted out to foreign countries. It consists of several key components:

Requirements for Employers

• Notification: Employers must notify the Secretary of Labor at least 120 days before relocating a call center or contracting call center work overseas.
• Public List: The Secretary of Labor will maintain a publicly available list of employers who relocate call center work or contract it overseas.
• Duration on List: Employers will remain on this list for up to five years unless they relocate call center work back to the U.S. or amend contracts to require U.S.-based workers.

Ineligibility for Federal Assistance

• Grants and Loans: Employers on the list will be ineligible to apply for or receive federal grants or guaranteed loans for five years. Existing grants may be subject to penalties if the employer is listed.
• Exceptions: There are specific circumstances under which an employer might still receive federal assistance, such as national security concerns or significant job losses.

Contracting Preferences

• When awarding federal contracts, agencies must give preference to employers that do not appear on the list of employers who have moved call centers overseas.

Disclosures in Customer Service Communications

• Location Disclosure: Businesses engaged in customer service communications must disclose the physical location of their employees at the start of a communication, especially if they are located outside the U.S.
• Transfer Requests: Consumers can request to be transferred to a U.S.-based agent if they are speaking with someone located overseas.
• Artificial Intelligence Use: Companies using AI in customer service must disclose this at the beginning of communications and inform consumers about their right to speak with a human operator based in the U.S.

Enforcement and Reporting

• The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will enforce compliance with disclosure requirements, treating violations as unfair or deceptive practices.
• By one year after the bill's enactment, the Secretary of Labor must submit a report detailing the locations and extent of call center work for federal agencies.

Overall Impact

The bill emphasizes keeping call center jobs within the United States by imposing penalties and requiring transparency from companies that may attempt to outsource this work. It formally establishes a framework to potentially discourage the relocation of these jobs across borders by making it more difficult for those companies to receive federal funds.

Relevant Companies

• T (AT&T Inc.): As a major player in telecommunications, AT&T may be impacted as the bill addresses call center operations which are a significant aspect of their customer service.
• VZ (Verizon Communications Inc.): Similar to AT&T, Verizon has extensive call center operations that could be directly affected by any relocation requirements specified in the bill.
• CMCSA (Comcast Corporation): As a provider of various communication services, Comcast's call centers could also be influenced by the provisions of this bill regarding overseas operations.